Their Vacation
by Cosmic Sky
Summary: Under other circumstances what they would have been doing would have been called a field trip, but in this case it was a vacation. For Akira it was a trip down memory lane, and for Sadayo it was a new opportunity to learn about her boyfriend. In the end Sumaru City turned out to be full of surprises for both of them.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, I'm back with another story in my line of Joker/Kawakami stories. Unlike the others this one is post True Ending so Joker's back home and in a long distance relationship with Sadayo. Truthfully I've been meaning to write this story since I learned a certain piece of information about Joker's backstory. Yep, Akira and Sadayo are going on a little fieldtrip! The hometown of the former's namesake!**

 **I do not own anything, Atlus (again, those lucky bastards) does.**

* * *

She was actually a little surprised to learn the fuzzy-haired teenager she'd come to call her boyfriend was originally born in Sumaru City. Granted it did explain how he'd adapted to life in Tokyo within weeks of arriving for his prohibition. Akira had once told her Tokyo felt a little familiar and was only a "little more" boxed in than Sumaru. It was just a thought, but somehow Sadayo always felt the big cities were where Akira belonged, walking the streets as just another face in the crowd by day and by night scaling skyscrapers and the like. It was a childish, romantic thought, but some days that's how she felt about her dark-haired lover. She could remember once when he was taking care of Morgana comparing him to a cat that seemed to have made the high-rise city its home despite living in the country.

In spite of all of this she could still sense some anxiety rolling off of him as their train drew closer and closer to the station. Sadayo thought back to the conversation that had brought them to their current place.

* * *

"I don't remember too much of when we lived there, only that right around the time I was born there were a lot of strange incident occurring." He'd once confessed to her. "Needless to say, it didn't do my mom much good when she was about to give birth to me, heh, according to my relatives both of my parents were ready to leave town just so my mom could give birth to me."

"I can hardly blame her." The teacher responded leaning back in her chair a little. Even though she was miles away and completely safe, she remembered the chills that went up her spine when the strange incident started occurring. Looking at her boyfriend's face through the TV screen she tried to imagine what his parents must have felt, their child about to be brought into the world while around them an entire city descended into near hysteria and chaos. Reports of madmen, killer robots, monsters, and all other manner of strange things came in on a day-by-day basis, everyone scrambling to find out if any of them had any truth. First hand footage was provided and dismissed on a near hourly basis as the nation tracked the ten days Sumaru City turned into an epicenter for the weird and somewhat frightening. Though things had eventually returned to normal within a few days' time the damage had already been done. Amongst the chaos there had been dozens of deaths and disappearances that were still being investigated to this day, perhaps the most well-known one being former Foreign Minister, Tatsuzou Sudo. Now there was the real story, that a cabinet minister not only was an apparent cultist, but also possessed several criminal connections stretching beyond Japan. "At least you weren't old enough to comprehend what was going on around you, I can tell you I was scared out of my mind every time I turned on the news. Take it from someone who actually lived through it."

"Yeah, all that stuff is partially why my dad agreed with my mom to move out into the suburbs." Since they'd started these video chats she'd grown used to seeing him slouch back in his chair and stare at the ceiling with a zoned out expression on his face. Sadayo actually found it quite cute and a completely-in character thing for him.

"You didn't like moving to the suburbs?" The teacher inquired chuckling a little.

"Well, for the better part of my life it's where I grew up, but after Tokyo," He sighed running a hand through his messy black hair. "Things around here are just a little _too_ quiet for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, a part of me was happy to see some old faces, but now I miss half the people I met in Tokyo."

"Ah, starting to miss us already?"

"A loud-mouthed best friend, a part-time model, a student council president, a goth doctor, an arcade king, and the best teacher a guy could have asked for who also happens to be the best girlfriend he could have wished for among others." Akira grinned while leering at her with one eye.

Briefly looking away Sadayo mulled over the information she'd just been given. Sneaking a glance at Akira she decided to approach the topic with as much courage as she could muster. "Your…summer vacation is just right around the corner."

"Yeah, our one-year anniversary." The former thief laughed without any hint of teasing, but with genuine affection in his voice.

Still blushing a little she continued, "So, well, both of us can take off for a few days since apparently you've been keeping your grades up and I've been working my butt off. How about we…how do you feel about going to Sumaru City?" Almost immediately his face went blank throwing the teacher into a slight panic. "I-I-I mean w-we don't have to go there if you don't want to! We can always go someplace if you don't feel like going there." She attempted to explain watching his face go through a myriad of emotions. Strangely enough he didn't seem angry at all, matter of fact, Sadayo actually thought she saw the traces of a smile forming on his face. "A-Akira?"

"This will be your first time visiting Sumaru right?"

"Obviously."

"Then I'll be both your boyfriend and your official tour guide to the city of all things weird and crazy."

That sly grin and familiar cackle in his eyes was too much for the teacher who promptly burst into a fit of laughter. Even if he was no longer a Phantom Thief he was still a trickster, the same one she happily fell and remained in love with. "Okay then Mister Kurusu, I'll be expecting you to show me a good time."

"When have I ever let you down?" He coolly shot back with a wink.

* * *

In spite of his boasting Sadayo knew Akira retained a fair amount of memories of his time in Sumaru City based on his body language. He'd been to the city a couple of months ago for a school trip, and apparently he'd traveled there on his own for a few personal occasions. His parents for various reasons seemed to have something of an aversion to setting foot in the city where at one point monsters were said to have rampaged through the streets. As they pulled into the station Sadayo certainly didn't get that sort of feeling. Together, hand in hand they stepped off the train and proceeded out of the station. As far as Sadayo could tell it greatly resembled some of the train stations in Tokyo, no doubt, the intent being to replicate the feel and atmosphere.

"Yamai Station hasn't changed a bit." The fuzzy-haired male stated stretching out both arms towards the sky and yawning. Yamai Station was a fairly new addition to the city, it's largest as well as flashiest transit station which had just opened little over a year ago. Right around the same time he'd had his first run-in with Shido. The diamond-like rooftop glittering brightly in the early summer sun making it hard to look at yet equally impossible to look away from. As Akira and Sadayo proceeded down the front steps as hundreds of others walked past them into the station.

"Is it always like this?" Sadayo asked slightly surprised by the thick crowd of people they moved through.

"Only in the summer and winter, when people have places they really got to get to. I remember earlier this year when my dad was coming home from a business trip he ended up getting stuck here when the snow came." He answered gripping her hand with a little more strength than usual. "Usually times like this is when a lot of people report they've been pickpocketed because it's so easy to do if you're not careful." Immediately he saw her clench her purse a little bit tighter and her eyes narrow causing him to laugh. "Don't worry, you've got a master thief watching your back."

"Noted," she smiled. "So, since you're my official tour guide care to tell me what our first stop is? I know we have a whole day to ourselves, but I want to see make each visit count for something."

"In that case Aoba Park it is." Akira said.

"You know the bus schedule?"

"Yeah, there's a bus that'll take us, but it'll be a long ride, not sure you're up for that after spending almost two hours on a train."

Stepping directly in front of him she buffed up her chest and gave him a supposedly stern glare. "Akira Kurusu, I am a native of Tokyo, you think spending another hour or so on a bus is going to have me breaking down into tears?"

Without warning the young teenager slipped his arm around the adult woman electing a sharp eep from her startled lips. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear, now come on!"

* * *

Compared to the buses in Tokyo Sumaru's bus system was rather tame, then again, maybe every city's buses were tamed compared to the nosey transportation of Tokyo.

"Just out of curiosity how many times have you done this?" Sadayo whispered.

"If times to know what I'm doing so we don't end up lost." He shrugged.

"I always wondered how you were able to adapt so easily to living in Tokyo, I now know why."

"I really come off as a city person don't I?"

"Yep, not that there's anything wrong with that." When she'd actually spent a weekend with him in his hometown she'd hadn't seen any major changes in his personality. The only stand out was him vocally telling her how quiet and dull the suburbs were compared to the big cities of Sumaru and later Tokyo. Indeed, compared to either of the metropolitan cities Meguro was almost pitifully small and tranquil, still, she liked the town Akira had once called home for the better part of his life. It greatly reminded of her of her own hometown, nestled far out in the country where life was quiet and slow paced. "Did you ever ask your parents about moving back here? Sounds like you enjoyed it more than you did living in Meguro."

"I thought about it once, but I never said anything." He shrugged watching the familiar scenery pass him by. In another ten minutes they'd be at their stop. "Meguro was okay and I was fine with that, I had friends and places I liked to go to so there wasn't a reason to leave." _At least until I was forced out because I stood between one asshole and his intentions of getting laid._

When their stop came up Sadayo was the first one out; the first thing she was hit with was the freshly scented and soothing area that was rolling in from the park just a little way's over. Invigorated she guided herself towards the park with her boyfriend happily following closely behind her. Bit by bit the hard concrete they were walking on changed to soft grass and the rows upon rows of gray and steel-colored buildings fell away to towering trees and rolling hills. The sound of car engines and chattering voices eventually gave way to the rustling of leaves in the wind and if they listened hard enough the running of streams and fountains. Replacing the loud calls of people hurrying from one place to another were joyful and quiet whispers along with the occasional barking of dogs. Before Sadayo knew it her lover was beside her, intertwining their hands without saying a word, in response she felt herself lean her head on his shoulders.

"I'll say this, it's definitely a fair bit quieter than Tokyo." She muttered watching a group of children run past them followed by their parents closely following them. None of them even batted an eye as they passed the couple giving Sadayo a reason to smile. "I like how no one here pays much attention to who's passing by."

"Kind of hard to do when so many strange people tend to hang out around here."

"Define strange,"

"Mysterious men in black coats, weirdos in customs, the average fortune taller claiming they can tell when you're going to die and how to prevent it, drug dealers, oh, and possibly a serial killer the police may have been after for the last month or so." He couldn't fight the Cheshire grin that split his face when she whirled around to face him with a glare. Try as she might the harder she tried to intimidate him the harder he fought to keep himself from laughing. Eventually the battle was lost and he finally lost it, bursting into a fit of giggles right then and there.

Having gotten used to being on the receiving end of his teasing Sadayo knew to let him have his little moment before speaking. "Honestly, you're such a child."

"Hey, I'm still a minor, can you blame me?"

"A minor who's tangled with death, fought and defeated a criminal conspiracy, outwitted the Tokyo police, and if my memory is right saved the world, yet your little bouts of immaturity persist." She deadpanned as if the park sidewalk were a classroom she were teaching.

Akira didn't mind the tone of voice she was speaking to him with, if anything, he actually enjoyed it when she got this way with him. "True, but admit it, my immaturity is part of my charm."

"Your charm is because of a lot of things, the childish antics isn't one of them."

She shouldn't have challenged him.

"Really?" He leered taking a step towards him putting the distance between them to an inch and nothing else. As he expected she immediately became flustered and attempted to step back only to be swept up in his arms. "Aren't you the one always telling me to be honest and truthful? You're setting a bad example Sensei."

"E-Eh! W-Wait a second Akira, t-there are p-people-" She attempted to say hoping to dissuade him.

"Yeah, and this kind of thing is a regular occurrence for them." He chuckled.

Looking up Sadayo was actually surprised to see almost no one was paying them any sort of mind. If anything those few who did look at them did so with a chuckle or laugh before walking on. Other couples winked at them, especially some females who seemed to be eyeing her boyfriend with a passing interest. It took her several seconds to realize they were completely and utterly free of suspicion and scorn from onlookers proving her lover's words true. Shyly looking back at him she gave him a smile and a nod giving him permission to lean in. Electricity raced up her spine as their lips connected, the pleasurable rush of energy that made their extended time apart all the harder to bear. Her hands gently gripped his shoulders until the need for air became too great, lightly she pushed him away. His smile was serene and content while hers' was shy and reserved, completely with a light red streak across her face.

"I can see why you like this park so much." She whispered.

"Actually, I haven't, I'll show you why I loved coming here as a kid." With that statement he took her hand and began guiding her down the walkway up and down winding paths that took them under tree-born canopies. Above their heads the summer sun flittered in through breaks in the tree branches. It did a good job in keeping the walk way fairly cool and keeping them from breaking out in a hot sweat as they would have if there'd been nothing covering them. Just another little feature that made Aoba Park a frequently visited place in the city during the summer.

A cliché idea passed through his head causing another Cheshire grin to split his face. Stopping for a moment he slipped in behind his girlfriend then covered both her eyes using his hands.

"Really? You're going with that?" She grumbled.

"Just trust me, you don't think I'm going to steer your wrong do you?"

This was one of the things she both hated and loved about Akira, he could take even the oldest and cheesiest of clichés and somehow find a way to make them _work_. _I've corrupted him by making him watch those stupid romantic dramas!_ "Alright, I'll trust your word. Try to take my breath away." She wished she hadn't said that with a blush because she could hear Akira snickering as he began guiding her further and further down the walkway.

It was a good thing she didn't have any allergies because the further they walked the heavier the scent of pollen became. So great was it that Sadayo felt like she could almost taste it on her lips. The multiple fragrances she'd caught a whiff of earlier grew stronger and stronger with every step they took.

"Here we are, welcome to the Garden of Dragons." Her boyfriend said seconds before pulling his hands away.

What lay before her could only described as a sea of color, hundreds upon thousands of multi-colored flowers stretching onwards for what seemed to be miles. Standing out amongst the fields of red, blue, and yellow, were grayish-silver statues that glittered in the hot summer sun. They stood out like islands in the sea of flowers. Sadayo literally couldn't find the words to describe the garden she now stood before; her boyfriend merely stood behind her with a content smile on his face happy he'd managed to take his girlfriend breath away, again. Like every other person who laid eyes on Sumaru's prized garden for the first she was completely and utterly speechless. Her mouth remained open in wide shock as she scanned the colorful garden, enticed by the stretching miles of red, yellow, and blue that lay before her. From where they were standing it seemed every color of the rainbow was present from the brightest reds to the darkest of blues and everything in between.

As if in a daze Sadayo wondered forward leaving Akira to trail behind her, not that he minded. Slowly a radiant smile began to blossom on her face as she came to realize the beautiful garden was real and she was indeed free to explore it to her heart's content.

Having seen the garden several times throughout his life Akira wasn't nearly as mesmerized as his girlfriend was. True, the flower field as beautiful, but he was standing behind something that put the thousands of flowers that surrounded him to shame. As he once complimented her hair was as unruly as ever, but in that way it made her extremely eye-catching and cute when they were standing face to face. Thanks to the pleasurable weather she'd lost the denim skirt and yellow long short she usually wore, in their place was an orange-tinted yellow blouse with a collection of sun-like dots, at his insistence she'd worn a pair of skin-tight but fashionable skinny jeans that showed off her rather graceful legs that she usually kept hidden with a skirt. Taken together with her purse and the completely mesmerized expression on her face she looked like just another woman walking through the park, one that could catch the attention of almost any man she wanted to.

Not that Akira would have let that happen, she was already taken.

When she finally turned around to face him he couldn't fight the sudden urge to turn his head, nor could he hide the bright blush on his cheeks. As usual his hands dug deep into his pockets while his heart thundered inside his chest. The dark-haired teen could almost hear his Persona cackling like a mad man in his ear, hell, he almost wished Arsene was still with him so he could have something to distract him.

Not that it would have helped as the next thing Akira knew a pair of warm hands had gripped his cheeks and his lips were preoccupied. The former Phantom Thief let out a started cry that would have all his teammates, _especially_ Morgana and Ryuji, rolling on the ground with tears streaming from their eyes while their guts were raptured with laughter. Well, that was if they could get over the fact he was being smooched by his homeroom teacher.

Sadayo didn't need to try hard to imagine how they looked, a woman rewarding her boyfriend for such a breath-taking surprise and nothing more. She allowed herself a moment to take pride in leaving her lover speechless, casually flickering her tongue across his lips. Almost automatically she felt his hands wrap around her fist deepening the kiss. When she pulled her lips away he was staring at her with the most dumbfounded expression she'd ever seen on his face causing the teacher to giggle. "You just love surprising me don't you?"

Gathering enough of his wits to speak he smiled, "Ever since I was a kid, my parents told me with my sense of theatrics I'd make a good magician. Guess they never considered it'd make me a good thief instead."

"What about a lover?" She giggled wrapped her arms around his neck.

"My mother may have given me a tip or two if I ever brought home a girl." He smirked in return.

For once Sadayo was the one being taught and Akira was the one doing the teaching, yet another reversal of their usual roles. He showed her how each section of the garden had been arranged and preserved since its construction during the mid Sengoku era. Even if he was a former resident of the city it was obvious Akira still took pride in the expansive garden. In total the garden was almost a mile and a half long, big enough for one to walk through and an absolute monster to maintain, but one well worth the cost. Each of the four sections of the garden were dominated by a particular flower color and corresponding dragon statue. Under the bright rays of the sun the chiseled dragon statues glimmered as if their stone scales were real. Around each of the statues large crowds commonly gathered and marveled at the five hundred year-old craftsmanship that had endured through the years. Sadayo herself, being something of a sucker for historic art and sculpting, took her time examining each statue.

"This city's got a real fetish for dragons doesn't it?" She noted spanning her fourth photo using her phone.

"You have no idea." The black-haired boy muttered. "Apparently the old warlord who used to rule these lands had a thing for showing how big and bad he was. Nothing says that better than dozens of dragon statues."

"Wrong type of dragon though." Sadayo stated looking over the statue before them. As it stood in the heart of the red and orange-shaded flowers the stone base it was carved from had been made to look like a pillar of fire erupting from a patch of earth. Rearing its head back and roaring as stone flames coiled around its lower body and legs Sadayo could only imagine the long days craftsmen had to work to accomplish the creation of this marvel. "Sumaru sounds like the kind of person who you guys would have targeted for a change of heart."

It was still hard to believe little more than a year had passed since he'd officially retired from being a Phantom Thief of Heart. It was times like this that it hit him the hardest. "I've robbed a king, a plagiarizing artist fancying himself a lord, a banker, a CEO turned space lord, a pair of black knights, a would-be dictator," A dark grin spread across his face. "And a so-called god, one crusty warlord thinking he's all that wouldn't be a problem."

"Even if that warlord supposedly had fire-breathing dragons at his call?" She leered already knowing the answer. The knife-wielder snorted and looked away with a faraway smile implying they too would fall by the wayside as the previously listed targets some would have found Akira's supposedly arrogance annoying or insulting Sadayo knew better; it wasn't exactly arrogance when one knew they could back up their boasting, and Akira could definitely back it all up. Perhaps that was one of the reasons she'd fallen in love with him. "Thank you for taking me here, I can't even begin to describe how happy it's made me to see this garden in person after hearing so much about it."

"The tour's still not over yet, there's one last place in Aoba Park I wanna show you. The Concrete Hall's closed for renovations so there's only one other thing I want you to see in person."

Rather than a response from her mouth he got one from her stomach, one that left her with a hot blush to rival the one she stirred in him earlier.

"But first how about I get you something to eat?" He laughed while she averted her eyes.

Being treated to ice-scream in the park was one of those pleasure Sadayo thought she'd never enjoy one year ago when she was working multiple side jobs for money. After all, what kind of guy would want a woman who dresses as a maid almost every other day to do dozens upon dozens of house hold chores? Well, not the ones she wanted a committed relationship with.

Luckily that same side job had brought her close to a man who not only freed her, but had rapidly become the best boyfriend she'd ever had. Though she knew how she felt she felt it best not to say them, she still had her pride.

For the second time that day Akira was fighting off waves of embarrassment. He chewed down on his ice-cream cone. In barely five minute she'd devoured half of cookie-dough where as his girlfriend was still contently munching down. _Stay calm Akira, you've faced worse than this. Much worse. You've outwitted a hitman, a criminal mastermind, and beaten a god. You can handle this. It's no problem, no problem at all._ At times like this he actually missed Arsene's sarcastic voice ringing in his ears. Though his remarks were crude they had a way of distracting him from the current matter long enough for his mind to come up with a plan to deal with the current situation. Now he was on his own.

Having read up on Aoba Park prior to coming Sadayo had an idea where they were going. Possessing something of an artistic side she was a sucker for classical architecture she was absolutely giddy to see what awaited them at the end of the walkway that left the rainbow-inspired garden behind. Bit by bit the scenery around them began to change, going from merely wild beauty to something you'd find pleasurable to look at during a morning walk. Over the low hanging trees her chocolate eyes spied the first of three pagoda that marked the feudal manner that Aoba Park had been built over. Really, at one point the entire park was considered a feudal manor where commoners were forbidden to set foot in without being invited by a noble.

"Welcome to the home of Morimichi Fukushima, personal general and architect of the late warlord Kiyotada Sumaru, and my dad's second favorite historical figure." Akira proclaimed as they passed through the final archway leading them to stand directly before the web-like patchwork of interconnecting house and store rooms.

Aided by the backdrop of an entire forested hill it seemed as if the small-scale manor hadn't been touched by the five hundred years that had passed since it was constructed. The dark wood seemed to shine under the summer sun and the sound of running water further added to the tranquil air the manor seemed to possess. Choosing a walk way and sticking to it the couple quickly found themselves strolling through an array of feudal style homes and gardens that had been carefully maintained with tender care courtesy of the city council. The fresh fragrance of flowers and steady running of water were omnipresent nearly every step of the way.

"It's hard to believe this place was once a pile of rumble huh?" Akira mused crossing a bridge that overlooked over a stream that fed into a pond large enough to be a swimming pool. At the center of it stood a single stone spire engraved with various kanji he'd never tried to make out.

"You could say the same thing about Tokyo, what's impressive is how much care the city puts into maintaining everything." Sadayo responded snapping another picture. Pausing in photography she leaned against the railing and looked out on the water with a peaceful expression. "No matter how broken or damaged something is you can always rebuild it if you put enough effort into it."

Smirking the teenager joined her, wrapping his free arm around her waist. "This park is where my parents met…and this place is where my dad proposed to my mom."

He didn't look at her, not that she was hurt by it. Giggling she moved one hand through her his messy black hair and twirled a dark lock around one of her fingers. The more he tried to turn his head the cutter he looked. "History repeats itself huh?"

"That's what I'm trying to break." He admitted. "My dad always told me if I ever met a girl bring her here, if I want to propose to her do it in the flower field, she can't say no to that."

"Guilt tripping huh?"

"Ask my mom, she told me she had to 'think' about it when my dad popped the question." He sheepishly countered. "They always used to bring me here every summer, tell me all sorts of stories about the feudal and Meiji era."

"That explains how you kept acing history, I'm not surprised considering your father is an urban developer."

"Yep, supposedly descended from a long line of landscapers who supposedly once served Japan's daimyos and shoguns." At last he turned his face so they were eye to eye. That cocky grin was on fully display. "I guess it was only inevitable that somewhere down the line they'd produce a guy who specialized in breaking and entering into the homes of egomaniacs."

Rolling her eyes she kissed her boyfriend's cheek. "I'm sure you've made your ancestors proud."

"Maybe not all of them."

Their next stop was the pagoda she's spied earlier on their way in. It stood at four stories tall with a stone basin and bright red tiles that sharply contrasted to the deep greenery around it. Unlike the manor the pagoda had been added almost ten years into the eighteenth century, long after the land feudal ruler had passed away leaving the land in the hands of a new governor appointed by the Shogun. It stood before one of the park's larger hills acting as something of a silent guardian or focal point. Entry was forbidden except on certain occasions, but that just meant the hundreds of park-goers could crowd around the towering structure and marvel at it from the ground.

Akira and Sadayo were two of those people, keeping a respectful distance from the huge crowds that had gathered around the pagoda. The teenager's expression was sullen, almost withdrawn as he gazed at the highest point of the tower with longing in his eyes. Beside him Sadayo snapped more and more pictures before taking notice of her boyfriend's condition.

Reaching over she creased her cheek as gently as a parent would a child's. "About what you said earlier,"

After a deep breath Akira stood fully upright; from Sadayo's view it made him look less like a teenager and more like a world-weary adult. "Ever since I…got back my dad's…he's trying to make things better. We've talked, we've argued, we've apologized to each other at least half a dozen times. Now, since I'm in my final year…he…"

"What?" You can tell me anything, maybe I can help."

"He wants me to study architecture like he did," There was a difference between being able to say that to a talking cat like Morgana and his girlfriend, the sense of catharsis was noticeable greater. "He says it's not because it's the family business, and I believe him, I know that because he never pressured me into it before-"

"He wants you to become a big name architect so people will forget about the assault charge." The way he looked at her was almost reward enough for cutting him off. It was obvious he'd forgotten she could keep up with his high-speed thinking when she wanted to, or in this case, when his thoughts were so obvious only a total idiot could have missed them. "If you become a famous architect who builds something like government building or even the head of your own firm, everyone will forget about what happened with Shido. He wants you to be able to move on with your life."

"I already have." He somewhat hotly countered only realizing how close he was to snarling at his girlfriend. Looking up he saw she remained resolute causing him to apologize. "It's just…after I got back, I took a few classes and I…sort of…the schools called and he was over the moon I knew so much the ins and outs of various buildings and structures." A brief grin flashed over his face. "I told him I learned a thing or two while I was in Tokyo."

"Oh, just a thing or two?" She smiled.

"I'll tell him one day in the future when I think he won't blow the roof off our house learning his son was a Phantom Thief." Quickly the joy faded away leaving unease and doubt in its place. "I…don't want to design these big fancy buildings for rich idiots or some jackass who's just going to use it flaunt his power over anyone he wants. I'd rather spend my adult life designing playgrounds than something like a bank or a government building."

"You know you could do that, he wants to be an architect, that doesn't mean you have to be the kind he wants you to be." The brunette offered. "What is it _you_ want to do?"

Looking in her in the eye Akira found the truth rushing through his lips like water through a floodgate. "I want to help people. If I can't do it illegally as a Phantom Thief then I want to be able to do it legally."

Admittedly his answer completely and utterly caught Sadayo off guard. She blinked once trying to comprehend his words, eventually they clicked together. "T-That's fine, perfectly fine, it's what you want to do; actually, you'd make a great lawyer."

"You really think so?"

"I know so, you've definitely got the charisma for it." Seeing that familiar cat grin return should have been enough of a clue to get her to stop. Sadayo decided that just this once she'd indulge him as a reward. "You've got a big heart, one that can find the good in almost anyone you meet, bring it out of them even when they think it's gone for good. Once you find it you practically become their knight in…in…I really don't have a name for it, but you'll fight for their sake until the end. On top of that…you're incredibly wilily, a sweet talker, oh, and arrogant. All perfect traits for someone who wants to practice law, especially to defend people."

A long silence followed as the teenager and adult did nothing but stare into each other's eyes as hundreds of others walked past them caught up in their personal lives and interests. Slowly Sadayo began to think she'd said the wrong thing when she found herself unable to read her boyfriend's blank expression. It wasn't until she saw the slight upward curve of her lips that tipped her off. The teacher managed to suck in one breath before her boyfriend wrapped both of his arms around her waist and brought her in close so he could whisper into her ear.

"You know, you always know just what to say to make me feel better, thanks Saya-chan." The words were a whisper that carried all the affection and love she'd come to expect from the dark-haired youth.

Happily wrapping her arms around his body she bathed in the warmth generated by his body, warmer and more welcoming than the sun overhead. "That's what a girlfriend's does. Whatever you decide to do, I promise I'll be there to support you through and through."

Silently Akira made a reminder to thank his parents for preaching of Aoba Park's supposed good luck. Like a handful of other things they'd taught him, they'd been prove a hundred percent right.

"So is there any place else you want to go? It's only a little past two thirty and our train back to Meguro doesn't leave until six-thirty."

"There is one place I'd like to go," The teacher admitted. "Is there a bus that'll take us to the Konan Ward?"

"The Sky Museum?"

"Another time, I want you to take me to the mall." Sadayo grinned.

* * *

 **Just to clarify the Garden of Dragons mentioned this chapter is based off of the Sankeien Garden of Yokohama, the same city Sumaru City is based on. As you glinned from this chapter for almost the first ten years of his life Akira lived in Sumaru City, since he's sixteen years old and Persona 5 presumable takes place around 2016 or 2017 he would have been born almost the exact year the events of Persona 2 Eternal Punishment took place. It's part of my headcanon that Akira grew up hearing rumors of the events of P2EP and JOKER.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Part 2, featuring the surprise show ups!**

 **I do not own anything.**

* * *

Seaside Mall, Akira's memories of the place were fuzzy at best, this was actually his second time visiting the mall since coming back from Tokyo. It took him a few minutes of walking to familiarize himself with the long winding paths he'd walked as a six year-old. His pride kept him from getting a mall map to make sure they didn't get lost, not that he was stupid enough to get them lost. That being said, he had to admit the inside mall had changed quite a bit since he'd last walked in it. Half the stories he remembered from his childhood were gone, replaced by dozens of dozens of new establishments.

The one probably caught his eye the most was a lavish-looking restaurant that had a line stretched from the entrance to the outside. Based on what he could see it was new and popular meaning getting a reservation was going to be next to impossible. "This used to be a fortune telling shop."

"Really? Could have fooled me."

"Yeah, my mom took me here once just for fun to have our fortunes told, I remember my dad going off saying it was a waste of money." Searching the depths of his memories he attempted to recall a name. "The Sumaru Genie."

She shot him a cross look. "Cute name."

"I think it might have closed one year after we moved to Meguro, something about them losing business to another fortune teller across town or something. I don't really remember too well."

"This is an odd city you know that?"

"Why do you think my parents moved us out to the suburb, I can do weird, my folks? Not so much."

"Yeah, because weird is something you tend to have a knack for."

"Last I checked that wasn't a bad thing."

"Nope, in fact, _that_ is part of your charm."

Smirking he guided her away from the restaurant up another level to the third of four floors. He recognized a great many of the shops there and knew immediately where to take his girlfriend. A few minutes later and they were standing before a grand establishment named Padparacha, _the_ chief jewelry store in all of the Seaside Mall, and perhaps all of southern Sumaru. "If you want to look a-" He felt a tight hand grip his wrist then the next thing the knife-wielder knew he was being dragged along by his arm into a store with enough shiny objects it would have made Ann and Morgana go moon-eyed.

Akira had gone into Padparacha two times in his life, once with his parents when he was six and another time a few months later with his father to search for an anniversary gift with his dad for his mother. Again, his memories of the time were fuzzy and not all that accurate. What he did remember was the feeling of unease that came with having his every move watched. When he and his father returned he found the feeling had been magnified.

One of the reasons he suggested coming out to Sumaru City was because unlike his hometown he was just another face. Any time someone looked at his with suspicion it was because it was part of their job, not because they wanted to or felt they had to. That had been the case in Meguro where his every move was watched and cataloged-like he was some wild animal. Here everyone was given that treatment and that made him feel just a little bit better.

Sadayo looked like she was in heaven, which she was given the plethora of jewelry laid out before her. Rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, you name it and it was safely tucked beneath a glass or steel case that was nigh impregnable. Stars continuously danced in her eyes as they moved through the store alongside hundreds of shoppers.

"I know this is supposed to be my gift to you, but could you not exceed anything past eight thousand yen?" He whispered as a sweat drop began to develop on his forehead.

"Oh? What happened to all that money you saved up in Tokyo?" Don't tell me you spent all of you."

"Well no, but, you see, I…" It was almost karmic how his cat-like grins seemed to transfer onto her face while he stood there with a dumbfounded expression. "Just keep it reasonable Sadayo."

"Hey, who's the adult here?" With a light poke to the forehead she continued her browsing with him following close behind.

The former thief himself did some browsing, naturally after a whole year of metaphysical thieving he'd gained an eye for all things that shined and glittered. He had to admit the store was living up to its reputation as a first class jewelry store, almost every item he laid his eyes on had been made with near master craftsmanship. Chuckling the teen mused about how if Ann or Morgana were with him they would be the one singled out by security. Though the selection was vast few items caught his eye, even fewer were within the range of what he was willing to spend on a trip like this. Long before they'd even stepped inside the three-story jewelry store he'd resolved to buy his girlfriend something, it just had to be something she would cherish.

"Hey, Akira," He heard her call while he was lost in his own thoughts. Shaking himself awake he followed her voice over to a set of necklaces protected by a set of glass cases. It only took him a single glance to tell every item behind the glass was one hundred percent real and worth every one of the five or seven digits that corresponded to them. All of them seemed to have been made by the same craftsman since they all followed the same pattern: a geometric shape with two or even three colors that intermixed and shined when shined light touched them. Fitting enough a large crowd had gathered around the display eying each piece with various shoppers picking and pointing to what they wanted.

"So which one?" Akira asked finally pushing his way up to his girlfriend's side.

"That one right there." She pointed at a lone necklace that stood in the middle of an emptied out row. Compared to the others it was rather simple looking and for good reason. A titled star whose end points were all connected by a golden circle. The two colors of the star itself were a bright red and a canary yellow, alternating down to the center where a red star lay at the heart. "I can understand if you think it's a little-"

"I like it."

"Y-You do? Really?"

"Yep, red and yellow, two of my favorite colors."

Sadayo kept smiling to herself as Akira flagged down a clerk and gave him the order. For someone buying what turned out to be a twenty-five thousand yen piece of jewelry he was awfully casual, so much so that more than a few people took notice of how relaxed he was. The transaction took less than five minutes and then they were on their way out of the store, a velvet-colored bag happily clinging to Sadayo's chest while her head leaned on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"You really know how to spoil a girl you know that?"

"Well, I'm not exactly an upstanding guy so there's that."

Everything in that moment seemed almost too perfect to be real so naturally something had to happen to ruin it.

Though it'd been a year since his life had been in any sort of mortal danger Akira's actuate senses remained. His ears, despite not having any adrenaline pumping through them, heard the frantic cries and shouting others would have missed. It came from way back, almost an impossible distance unless one's senses had been honed. Immediately his body went on alert and his normally docile gray eyes turned stormy in a heartbeat.

"THIEF!"

The heavy footsteps coming up behind them put all his senses on alert. With speed and grace and belayed his docile form the teenager pushed Sadayo aside as he spun around to see a grown man reckless charging out of the store. The first thing he spotted was the shopping bag, no doubt stolen, tucked beneath the crux of his left arm, in the other was a relative small looking revolver. Akira's mind raced with calculations and scenarios on how the confrontation would play out, almost all of them ended with that gun eventually going off.

That meant it was the first priority.

The thief locked eyes with his for only a fraction of a second, his dull green and his stormy gray. His mouth opened in a scream for him to move as he brought the gun up. As Akira expected, the man flinched under the fierce glare the teenager had directed at him giving him a window of opportunity.

His right arm shot out grabbing the wrist and squeezing it with an amount of force that seemed almost inhuman. The gun clattered to the ground while the robber cried out in alarmed pain, his cries grew louder when Akira ruthlessly slammed his knee into the man's stomach knocking all the air out of his lungs. In his other hand the shopping bag fell to the ground while his knees buckled. Still keeping his wrist in a death-grip Akira kicked the fallen revolver away then proceeded to twist the arm behind the man's back.

A maelstrom of curses flew from the man's though to Akira they were nothing but hot air. "Keep running your mouth and you're going to jail with a broken wrist, and perhaps a broken back." His voice was dark, cold, near demonic and it showed on the thief's face. His earlier perception of a weak-looking teenager had been replaced by something else, something that the lone robber knew could _easily_ show him a world of pain he never knew existed. As expected his struggling stopped and his entire body went still. Once he sensed the danger had passed he turned to the right to find his clearly shocked and somewhat frightened girlfriend staring at him like he'd just nearly avoided getting run over. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Against any sort of judgement she rushed over and threw her arms around him, asking him the same thing he'd asked her over and over again in a frantic voice. At first he was stunned, but then he relented finally answering he was perfectly fine. "Sorry if I scared you."

"Sorry, sorry? Warn me the next time you're going to risk your life like that!" She shouted, her body still shaking.

"Kind of hard to do, guys like him tend to act without thinking, though isn't that why you love them?"

The teenager and adult blinked once at the unfamiliar voice chastising them. Slowly the couple looked down to find themselves being stared by a young boy, no older than possible ten or eleven with coconut brown hair and matching brown eyes staring at them. There was a playful glint in his eyes as he shot the two of them a wide grin. Flashing them a peace sign he moved over to scoop up the bag that had fallen by the wayside, after examining the bag's contents he turned his attention to the thief Akira still had pinned to the ground. Immediately his friendly expression evaporated as he walked up to the man, it was almost cute the pout he had on his face.

"You know stealing isn't a very nice thing to do." He started staring down at the man with hard eyes. When he snorted out a curse the boy raised his hand, balled it into a fist, and then brought it down directly on top of the man's head.

"You damn brat!"

"Next time if you want something pay for it!" He shouted back.

"Takeo!"

Again, the couple's attention shifted to the further back. Apparently the robber hadn't been alone, and his partner had fared no better than he did. This one was somewhat better dressed thus looking less out of place then his partner. He had a red bruise on his left cheek signifying he'd gotten too careless and had ended up catching a fist. The miserable look in his eyes told them apparently his face hadn't been the only thing that had been bruised. Finally a face appeared behind the second thief, surprising young yet at the same time mature looking. The man was an adult counterpart to the young boy they'd met from the brown hair down to the face, the only difference was the eyes-mature and serious. The man's brown eyes looked from the boy then to Akira who still had the other robber immobilized. A smirk spread across his face as he approached. "Nice work citizen."

"Oh, well, just doing my civic duty." Akira chuckled enjoying the grumbling the two men did once they were lined up side by side. "I forgot how stupid some of the criminals here could be." He whispered to his girlfriend still feeling rather confident.

In what seemed like seconds mall security was crowding around the entrance of Padparacha along with half a dozen other people who'd been drawn in by the attention. Akira and Sadayo watched with half interest as the two would-be robbers would cuffed and lead away, mumbling curses at each other and in Akira's direction; the teen merely smiled to himself and waved back when one of them shot a nasty glare at him.

"You handled that situation rather well," the brown haired man stated stepping up beside them with a small smile. "Something tells me this wasn't the first time you saw danger coming your way hot and fast."

"I've faced worse than some asshole with a gun thinking he's all that." The former thief muttered. There was something about this man that set off a few of his alarm bells. In his gut he felt a tight pull, almost like he did when he was in the presence of strong beings in the Metaverse. A part of him wanted to turn his head to look his way while another part kept him from doing so. The whole thing had his body on half alert.

This didn't go unnoticed by his brown-haired lover. She too was experiencing a sense of déjà vu trying to place the face of the mysterious man. Like her boyfriend he was dressed rather casually in jeans and a t-shirt, and like Akira he was fairly handsome to boot. In stark contrast to Akira's messy black hair his was light brown and perfectly parted around his forehead. He stood surprisingly maybe half an inch or so above her boyfriend who already towered over her. Most importantly the man's generally aura was completely and utterly different from Akira's, it was warm and bright, almost likes rays of sunlight. _Wait a second, red shirt, brown hair, good lucks, and seemingly wa-_ "Um, you wouldn't happen to be-"

"Tatsu! Takeo!"

The two brown-haired males immediately turned around with smiles on their faces to see a woman with shoulder-length blackish-blue hair hurrying towards them with a young girl with similar colored hair hot on her trails. Upon seeing them the boy, Takeo, triumphantly held up the shopping bag with an ear-to-ear grin, the woman scooped him up into her arms in seconds while the girl immediately hugged the leg of the man.

"Wow, who would have thought we'd run into one of Sumaru's two famous ace detective. I guess you really are a lucky charm Akira. Akira?" In the two years they'd known each other Sadayo had rarely, if ever seen Akira look like he was standing on the edge of a nervous breakdown. The few times she had could be counted on a single hand. What she saw before her wasn't just her boyfriend on the verge of a breakdown, it was him staring down his worst nightmare made really. "A-Akira?"

"Takeo, how many times do I have to tell you not to run off after daddy?" The dark-haired woman chastised her son looking him over for any sort of injury.

"I know mom, but we got these for Aunt Lisa and Aunt Maki so I couldn't just stand there and do nothing." The boy stated sadden he'd made his mother worry. His face soon brighten as he held up the bang then pointed to Akira. "But I didn't get hurt thanks to him."

Akira jumped, yes, the boy who'd faced death countless times and survived being erased from existence jumped. Not from the stares of the two females, but from the older male who was now eying him with near analytical eyes. They reminded him of the Niijima sisters, Sae more so than Makoto since this man was clearly more experienced than his former teammate, and if he had to guess even her adult sister.

"Um, just out of curiosity, you wouldn't happen to be _the_ Tatsuya Suo of the Sumaru City Police Department would you?" Sadayo asked with a hint of awe in her voice, completely blind to her boyfriend's furious shaking of his head.

The two children giggled while the man, Tatsuya groaned. Beside him his wife laughed. "Told ya' someone from out of town would recognize you."

"Here I thought you brought me along just so you could get that 'heroes' discount'." The detective groaned.

"Oh come on Tatsu-chan, that's half the fun of taking you shopping with me." The woman giggled grabbing a hold of his arm.

"Besides making him carry and pay for everything?" Sadayo playfully jabbed doing the same to her own boyfriend.

While the two adult women laughed at their fortune Tatsuya rolled his head to the side with a groan. By now they'd attracted quite a crowd who was now snapping pictures of him, his family, and the mysterious young man who'd single handedly prevented the robbery. "Takeo," he began addressing his son then turning to face Akira who straightened up. "Whoever you are, pick your marriages carefully. As you both can see, it's too late for me."

"Sounds like you want to be on dish duty again day." The detective's daughter snickered while her brother burst into laughter.

"Thank you for stopping the robbery and keeping all the yen we just spent from going to waste." The woman started reaching out her hand. "Maya Suo, as you can guess this is my husband Tatsuya, these are our kids Takeo and Akemi."

Graciously Sadayo took it, "My name is Sadayo Kawakami and this is my boyfriend, Akira Kurusu. We're from out of town, or rather I am."

"You from Seven Sisters?" Tatsuya immediately questioned.

"Actually I'm from Meguro, just outside of Sumaru." It was miracle his voice was still working and his knees hadn't liquefied. Every bone in Akira's body was screaming for him to grab Sadayo and high tail it as far as he could away from Sumaru's City's second best detective. Only a thin layer of composure kept him stationary.

"You picked a lousy day to take her out on the town." Akemi jabbed narrowing her eyes at Akira. It was clear in that instant who the Suo family genes had taken root in and Akira for one wasn't surprised.

At last mall security arrived on the scene to clean things up. Both of the would-be robbers were searched, had nearly every item of worth, be it their own or stolen, confiscated and finally handcuffed. The whole thing had attracted quite an audience. Out of reflex both Tatsuya and Akira did their best to hide their faces from the flashes of cameras and phones least their stony faces making the rounds on the internet. Tatsuya already knew when he went back to work in a few days this little incident would be all his colleagues would talk to him about. For Akira having his little act of heroism dominate his next talk with his friends was the last thing he needed. More so if he was spotted with their homeroom teacher.

"I know you didn't mean to, but could you stick around for a second?" Tatsuya asked walked over to Akira. "Procedure and all."

The teen shot an apologetic look at his girlfriend who simply nodded. Before allowing him to depart she took his hand and gave it a reaffirming squeeze. It seemed to push away a good deal of tension that had round up inside of him.

"Your boyfriend seems awful jumpy around police." Akemi noted as Sadayo joined them on a bench just outside of the police huddle. "Bad history?"

It was a little unnerving how direct and forward the girl was. Sadayo had heard stories of the famous Suo brothers of Sumaru City, ace detectives who'd solved numerous cases. The fact that one of them had a child who'd apparently inherited whatever keen eye that ran in the family didn't come as a surprise to the teacher. "Yes well, let's just say he's had some…run-ins with law enforcement. Nothing to worry about though." It was a half-baked lie she hoped none of them would see through, and she prayed like hell Akira was able to keep his cool long enough for the situation to defuse.

"Really? Here I just thought he was getting grilled like anyone who stands by dad." Takeo muttered doing his best to get a look at his father and Akira. He was in and out of the crowds forcing Akemi to get up and constantly hauling him back, lecturing him on letting their father do his job. "But he's on vacation!"

"Not anymore." She lectured pulling him back by the cuff of his shirt.

"Quite a pair." Sadayo chuckled watching the two sibling get into a childish argument.

"You should see them when they're a home trying to decide who's Red Hawk." The dark haired female laughed in response. "They love each other though, and their father."

"What's it like be married to a local celebrity like that?" It was an honest question as though only just meeting each other Sadayo could feel something of a kinship with Maya. Perhaps it was rooted in the fact both of them were involved with men whose career choices had led them to becoming rather famous, or infamous in Akira's case.

"I love the press like any woman would, but sometimes it's just too much. It's always too much for Tatsuya." Maya laughed crossing her legs with a smile. "Any time he can he carves out as much time as possible for me and our kids." A light blush colored the journalist cheeks as fonder memories of the last nine years resurface within her mood. "To the public he's the brooding bad-boy detective that always catches the bad guys, but around us he's a real sweetheart."

Giggling the teacher looked back at the crowd which obscured her boyfriend from view. "I can understand being in a relationship like that. To the world he's just a person, but…to the people he cares about he's…well, he's practically Superman."

"Exactly! Definitely the kind of one in a million kind of guy who you'd fight the entire world for." Maya exclaimed before realizing how childish she looked. "Uh, sorry about that. Tatsuya's the calm one and I'm the hyperactive one."

"That I can also understand." She giggled again remembering how tame she was compared to Akira. As she had discovered, opposites did in fact attract.

"So, if Akira's from the suburbs what about you? You said you were from out of town."

"Tokyo."

"Ah, I see."

"So you're from the big, big city."

Sadayo jumped back when she found herself in the crosshairs of the scope-like eyes of the two Suo children. Immediately she felt a sweat drop come on. "Uh…is that a problem?"

"Nope, Tokyo, the capital of Japan and the epicenter of all things weird and unnatural." Takeo stated in a cheery voice.

"Home of the MIA Prince Detective Goro Akechi and MIA Phantom Thieves of Heart." Akemi added with a hand on her chin.

"Hold it right there you two." Maya interjected, all form of humor lost. In its place was a motherly sternness Sadayo remembered all too well from her own childhood. "Manners remember."

"Sorry Miss Kawakami." The siblings said bowing their heads in perfect unison.

"Yes, um, no harm taken. Like I said, Akira brought me out here since we both had some free time on our hands so we decided to come out to Sumaru."

"How's the visit so far been?" Maya asked with a grin pulling at her lips as well as that of her children.

"It's been…exciting." The teacher concluded smiling. "I hear there's a famous seafood restaurant in this mall. It's partially why I wanted to come here instead of the Sky Museum."

"I see." Suddenly the dark-haired woman stood up with a proud smile on her face and her hands on her hips. "As thanks for helping us and as a citizen of Sumaru City consider lunch on us!"

"Come again?" The three females and young male turned around to see Akira and Tatsuya approaching them, both with puzzled looks on their faces. The later having grown used to his wife's zany ideas merely stared at her silently asking for an explanation.

"Heheh, so…Tatsuya, how do you feel about turning our family lunch into a…uh…"

Flickering his eyes from the teacher to the teenager the detective smiled, a small smile, but one that everyone took notice of. "Consider it a Suo family treat."

* * *

 _How the hell did this happen?_ That line kept repeat itself in the mind of Akira as he and Sadayo settled into their seats with the Suo family right across from them. Yes, he had planned on treating Sadayo to lunch at Johnny Roger, perhaps one of the few places he remembered from his childhood, but not like this. Not sitting across from the _last_ person he wanted to run into in Sumaru City. This was different from Sae and Goro, both of them he could deal with, play their games and outwit them. Tatsuya Suo didn't play games, and he'd faced down greater adversaries than him. Oh, and he was completely and utterly on his own with Sadayo with him and absolute no back up plan. Just peachy.

The first thing he did upon stepping foot into the seafood restaurant was calm his wired nerves, he had to or else he'd be inviting disaster on himself. Akira's memories of the place were surprisingly strong and vivid, everything from the thick smell to the warm feeling that came with entering the establishment. Sure the layout of the place had changed, but the sense of relaxation and peace were still the same; that helped put his mind at ease.

Another was seeing the old bartender simply called "Master" wave at Tatsuya and Maya. It appeared they and their children were regulars or at least the old man was familiar with them. The scene greatly reminded him of Futaba and Sojiro back in Tokyo.

As he looked over the menu his eyes continuously squinted. "The menu sure has changed a lot."

"It's been a while since you've eaten here before?" Maya inquired.

"Yeah, you could say that." He quietly answered. Quietly looking over he saw his girlfriend had gone moon-eyed over the impressive menu. "See anything you want?"

"Everything." Was her star-studded reply.

The family of four and former Sumaru native all laughed at the woman's answer; in their own way they all knew how delicious almost every dish offered was. Eventually the waitress came by and everyone placed their orders.

"Earlier you said you used to live here, when did you move?" Tatsuya started off staring directly at Akira. There was something about the boy that stirred his mind, like looking at a piece of case evidence on display.

He kept his eyes from flicking from side to side, a sure-sign that something was up. Taking a deep breath Akira let the words flow out of his lips as if he were speaking the natural truth. "When I was eight my parents moved out to the suburbs, Meguro, to be precise. I lived there for a while then I…graduated high school and decided to go to college in Tokyo." Okay, so maybe it wasn't exactly the best lie, but it was believable. Thanks to his height, looks, and general attitude Akira really could pass for a college student. Would it get past a reporter and veteran detective? He and Sadayo were crossing their fingers.

Sensing the baton had been passed Sadayo started speaking. "I was in my second year of teaching in grade school when we met."

"Where'd you two meet?" Maya asked now fully invested in their story.

"Coffee shop." The former thief and maid said, both with rather mischievous smiles on their faces. Across from them the married couple looked at each other and mouthed "classic".

Takeo, who'd been mostly silent through the entire exchange looked back and forth between the couple. "Second year? But aren't you a bit old to only just be- OW!"

Withdrawing her fingers from her brother's face Akemi looked at him with cross eyes. "Don't ever question a woman's age doofus." She said in a haughty voice.

"Take your sister's advice." The dark-haired teen said chuckling as the boy rubbed his cheek. "If a woman ever asks, just say she looks beautiful."

"Good boy." Sadayo stated affectionately kissing her boyfriend's cheek.

"I see you've trained him well." Maya chuckled happily tapping Tatsuya's shoulder; the knowing smile he shot his younger counterpart conveyed all the respect he'd earned in that second. "As for me and Tatsuya, work related."

"She was hired to do a report on me, I let her tail me for a while, one thing led to another and then, well," Rather than finish he simply held up his left hand showing the golden band around his ring finger while his wife happily clung to him. Takeo and Akemi, used to their parents' displays of affection simply looked away in mock disgust, as expected of them.

Though Sadayo took the story at face value Akira…didn't. _They're only telling us half the truth._ He'd seen enough and been through enough to know when he was being told a half truth and an outright lie altogether. They weren't so much physical signs as a gut feeling, a sixth sense if you will. _They've told this story before and people have bought it. The kids don't known the full truth, probably for their own safety._ If he still had his glasses Akira was sure they would have had an ominous shine to them, which was why he was thankful he no longer wore them. "You must have broken a lot of hearts in town when you two got together Suo-san." He said with a happy smile.

"You have no idea, thankful it did stop the massive influx of lover letters I kept getting in the mail." The brown-haired adult groaned. "You ever go through that?"

Again, the student and teacher shared a knowing look between each other. "I've…had my admirers." Akira finally chuckled. "Thankfully they were nowhere near as rabid as yours' were, I hope."

"Sounds like I've got a rough future ahead of me." Takeo noted looking deep in thought after hearing the two older men speak.

Beside him Akemi scowled. "Rough future? As a what? Beat cop?"

"No Akemi! Don't you get it? In a few years I'll be a stud just like dad! Even worse, just imagine what'll happen when my police career takes off!" The older sibling passionately retorted puffing his chest out.

"It will be tough, but the road of the heartbreaker is one that must be treaded for some." Akira added, once again speaking in a sagely tone of voice. "The road will be long and arduous, but you must endure."

The adults around the table broke out in blissful laughter while the youngest of the table rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Geez, Mr. Kurusu, please don't encourage him! His head's big enough already!"

"Better big headed than empty headed." Takeo countered smiling.

"What about a big empty head? You've certainly got one of those."

"Now, now guys, no more bickering until after we eat." Maya finally said getting her laughter under control then spying their waitress returning with their food. As she expected her children immediately ended their squabble and grabbed their forks and knives. "Just in case you two ever plan on having kids remember, food is always a great neutralizer." She said with a wink causing both of them to blush deeply. "Now then, let's eat!"

The roasted shrimp Akira and Sadayo dined on was on par with the garlic shrimp they'd enjoyed during the school trip to Tokyo, Akira would even have to say it was better. He'd gained a taste for any kind of cooked shrimp since that trip courtesy of his girlfriend. Apparently they weren't the only ones with a taste as both of the Suo children had ordered a plate full of shrimp as well. Tatsuya went with grilled salmon and Maya had ordered a plate of readily cooked kabayaki. In seconds the table became a cacophony of chewing and to a lesser extent smacking. Each occupant of the table had a near heavenly expression on their faces as they savored each bite.

"If you don't mind me asking, Akira, what exactly is it you're studying?" Tatsuya asked taking a minute to pause in his eating.

Remembering their earlier conversation Akira spat out, "Law so I can be a lawyer, defense lawyer."

"You don't look like the kind of guy for that." Akemi off handedly commented earning an elbow jab from her brother.

"I've…gotten that before." The dark-haired youth replied. "I imagine it'll be hard for me to get clients in my first years."

"If I may say so, you're a good looker, so you'll probably get a good crop of female clients." Maya's words immediately lit a fire in Sadayo as evident by the momentary pause in her eating.

"Did something in your past inspire you?"

Akira nearly choked on his food when the voice of the younger Suo brother penetrated his ears. Once again their eyes locked in a silent engagement. There wasn't any malice of suspicion on his eyes, only an honest to God curiosity. In return Akira knew he saw suspicion in his; the earlier incident in front of the jewelry store had already given away a handful of hints about him. Like he wasn't a stranger to violence nor was some run of the mill robber something that could scare him. On top of that there was the strange feeling he felt nagging at the back of his head.

Regardless, he knew playing the silent idiot wouldn't get him out of this, nor would telling a whole hearted lie.

"Yes, something in my past…did happen." His shoulders slumped a little and his normally calm voice lost some of its cheer. "I've…seen some bad things happen to people who didn't deserve the suffering they got. A lot of them were hurt because they couldn't fight back or no one was willing to fight back for them, I decided even if it's only a little bit that's what I'd like to do with my life. I may not win every battle, but I at least want to do whatever I can to help people in need." He hadn't spoken a lie, or even a little white lie, but he hadn't told the entire truth either.

Though everyone at the table was looking at him it was the detective who he focused on. He was the one who Akira's words had the greatest impact on. His brown orbs remained unchanging though Akira could see the thoughts and guesses running through the older man's head.

An honest smile slowly spread across the man's lips before he swallowed another piece of salmon. "I see, that's admirable goal. As someone who's seen the inside of several courtrooms I can tell you that road won't be easy, but I can tell by the look in your eyes you've got the will to stick it out."

This time the older man's words had something of a cleansing effect on him. The spring that had been round up inside of him began to uncoil itself allowing a sense of relief to spread through his body causing him to physical slump back into his chair, nearly dropping his fork and knife.

Sensing something amiss but not understanding what the youngest Suo child decided to add her two cents to the man-to-man conversation. "Our dad has that effect on everyone he interrogates if it makes you feel better Mr. Kurusu."

"I wasn't interrogating him Akemi." Tatsuya gently scolded.

"You kind of were dad," She shot back still eating as if nothing had happened. "You had him about to confuse to the last time he shop lifted."

"I did not."

"Did to."

"Did not."

"You _so_ did."

"I _so_ did not."

As the father and daughter decided into a childish back and forth Sadayo found herself laughing in spite of it all. She knew she should have been comforting her boyfriend, but for once seeing him squirm in such a way actually managed to bring a smile to her face. In a way it almost felt like a cosmic payback after all the times he left her flustered and breathless. Across from her Maya and Takeo looked between each other then back at the other half of their family, eventually they too joined Sadayo in a chorus of laughter.

 _You know, I think I'd prefer to be back in Mementos or exploring a Palace than here._ Were the thoughts of the Phantom Thieves' enigmatic leader.

Time passed and eventually of their plates became depleted until nothing but scraps remained.

"It all lived up to the rumors." Sadayo admitted feeling as if she'd just finished an entire Christmas dinner by herself.

"Still as tasty as I remember." Akira complimented stretching out his arms. The more he'd eaten the more memories of his childhood he'd felt spilling into his mind. "Definitely coming back here when we get the chance to."

"Sounds like you'll definitely be coming back, next time you might want to pay us a visit." Maya laughed. "If you're ever interested in getting your name out there come by Kismet Publishing."

"I'll consider it." Akira replied looking over the business card. From what he could tell the publishing agency's address hadn't changed, he remembered his father briefly taking him there once on a trip. "So, anyone up for dessert?"

* * *

When the time to pay came Tatsuya and Maya refused to allow either Akira or Sadayo to spend a cent of their money, insisting it was their personal treat.

"Thank you again for the lunch. We appreciate it." Sadayo began giving a courteous bow.

"Thank you for paying our little city a visit. Next time you're in town feel free to look us up." Maya said returning the gesture.

Not so surprisingly Takeo and Akemi stepped directly in front of the former leader of the Phantom Thieves. Takeo was the first to stick out his hand with a wide smile on his face, in turn causing one to develop on Akira's as well.

"It was nice meeting you Mister Akira, future defense lawyer."

Lowering himself to one knee he took the boy's hand, and offered his other to his sister. "It was an honor meeting both of you, future ace detectives." With a similar grin to her brother's Akemi shook his hand as well. The rush of warmth that ran through him was familiar, almost like he was forming yet another confidant. Looking up he saw the older Suo looking down at him with a knowing smile, a far cry from the expression he usually wore when reported about in the news. It was welcoming and inviting, like a warm flame.

The two groups parted ways outside the entrance waving their goodbyes to each other. On the Suo family end the youngest of the bunch hurried on ahead chatting to themselves while their parents hung back.

"He's a good kid." Tatsuya solemnly said.

"I know that voice," Maya smirked. "There's something special about that kid isn't there? Koharu and Akemi certainly seemed to take a liking to him."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." Her husband shrugged. Upon feeling her soft hand caressing his face he felt obligated to give some form of an answer. "I don't know why, but I just have a feeling me and him are going to run into each other again, kind of like how I ran into you after…everything that happened."

Looking back Maya found the couple had disappeared into the ever growing crowd of people. She felt a smile form on her lips. "I'm not against that happening, there was something a little…funny about him. To be honest he kind of looked like some of those pictures of the Phantom Thieves' leader, Joker." Even though the person in question was completely different Maya didn't enjoy so much as saying the word in front of her husband, it made his entire body bristle.

Shaking the feeling of unease off the younger man chuckled to himself. "From what I've seen from reports those two do look alike. Who knows, maybe it's just a coincidence."

"I thought detectives weren't allowed to believe in coincidence."

Rather than verbally reply Tatsuya threw his arms around his wife and kissed her cheek. Happily accepting the gesture Maya wrapped her other arm around him then leaned into his shoulder. "Coincidences aren't all bad, after all, that's how I ended up married to you and having two great kids."

* * *

It was Sadayo who chose a place for them to sit and watch the sunset. Ebisu Beach was relatively empty for such a pleasant afternoon. That made it easier to find a spot for them to collect their thoughts and enjoy the last moments of their vacation, and for Sadayo to get some information out of her boyfriend.

Kicking off her shoes she enjoyed the feeling of warm sand beneath her feet. "You know you could injure your feet doing that." Akira cautioned keeping pace with her.

"Maybe it's worth the risk. I don't get a lot of time to hand down to the beach back home so I'm enjoying myself here."

Smirking he reached down to untie his shoes and slip off his socks, in a minute he was walking barefoot with her down the orange-bathed sands of Ebisu Beach. Their hands were interlocked and for once it was him who was leaned on her. "I'm sorry about scaring you earlier."

She didn't speak to him until they both sat down, side by side with the sun to their faces. The lower edges of it had already begun to disappear beneath the horizon elongating shadows and cooling the air. Keeping her eyes on the horizon she gripped her lover's hand a little tighter, "I knew when you were a Phantom Thief you risked your life on a daily basis, but…seeing it in person was just…I don't think I've been that scared for you since December."

Internally he winced, for a number of reasons the past December wasn't a fond time for him to look back on. The month had been filled with trials, victories, and losses that had marked him for life. And that was just speaking for him, that month had been hell for his lover as well, perhaps more so than him. "I'm sorry I put you through that." Pulling her in a little closer to the point her curly brown locks tickled his noise he kissed the top of her head.

It felt good to be wrapped up in Akira's warmth, it made her feel safe and secure. "I know you are, I just…I just can't help it. I'm older than you and I'm your girlfriend, of course I'm going to worry. I worried all throughout December rather or not you were safe." She'd barely slept that entire month, coming in some mornings with visible circles under her eyes. More than a few of her fellow teachers and students had asked her if she was alright, it took all her willpower to lie and say she was. Finding the strength to look up she found him staring at her with perfectly clear eyes. "I worry about you, but I know you're the kind of person who can't turn a blind eye to injustice when he sees it. That's what makes you you, and that's why I love you."

Hearing those words always made Akira feel as if he were walking on air. Kissing his girlfriend's forehead he said nothing and simply basked in the joy of having her back in his arms, away from any sort of danger that could harm them.

"You still worry about it don't you? Someone finding out I mean?" Akira didn't need to answer her, the silent shudder that ran through him were enough of a response. "Is that why you were so jumpy? Because you were worried someone making the connection between you and Joker?"

"Well, it's been almost one year, and the popularity hasn't exactly died down." He reasoned. "People are still blaming us for almost half the Japanese government either being prosecuted or now living in disgrace."

Sadayo said nothing as she realized how true her lover's words were. Despite all they'd done the Tokyo police never were able to get over being outwitted by a band of high schoolers. She heard rumors and stray talk as she walked the streets of Tokyo. Admittedly some nights she went to sleep terrified of what would happen if they ever caught any member of Akira's band of thieves. "It's over now."

"Maybe, but there's always a part of me that…keeps looking over my shoulder, waiting to see a black van or someone tailing me. Next thing I know someone's breaking down my door, handcuffing me then dragging me into a police car." There was a brief pause than a humorless chuckle. "Heh, here I am talking about my own arrest like it's about to happen."

"Then stop talking about it." Sadayo chided. "The more time you spend worrying about an issue the less time you have to live for yourself. You're the one who taught me that."

"…You've come a long way since we've first met." She heard him chuckle.

"And I have you to thank for that." The teacher clarified planting a light kiss on his lips. "Did you mean what you said in the restaurant? About becoming a lawyer or was that just to throw them off?"

"No, I've…can you honestly see me inside of a court room?"

"Actually yes, I can."

"Really?" He said arching an eyebrow. "You can see me in a suit passionately fighting for some nameless stranger's life or whatever?"

She grinned, "You make it sound like that'd be something entirely new for you."

Quickly as it came the smirk fell from his lips as did his eyes. "Being able to win in a courtroom wasn't going to help you, and it sure as hell wasn't going to help any of the others. It's just…when I'm not Joker how will I-"

"Akira, look at me." Clapping both hands on the sides of his cheek she turned his head until they were eye to eye. Immediately she saw him seize up a little like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She always enjoyed having that little bit of power over him. "Do you know who it was who saved me from becoming a prostitute? Who reminded me that I still had it in me to become a great teacher? Who exposed Kamoshida's actions to the entire world? Who was brave enough to turn himself in so none of his loved ones were incriminated?" The seventeen year old blinked once then opened his mouth to respond. "It was you, Akira Kurusu, the man behind 'Joker'. That man, the same one I'm in love with, can be whatever damn well he wants to be if he puts his mind to it."

Instead of a witty comeback he grabbed the brunette and pulled her back into the sand, happily nuzzling her messy hair while she playfully told him to stop. A few beach goers who'd been watched chuckled to themselves before moving on.

Silence permeated the space between them save for the sound of the sea waves slushing against the shore. Having been in this situation before Sadayo was determined not to be the first one to break or crack under Akira's response. Instead of a laughing he genuinely smiled at her while leaning back until he was lying flat on his back. Releasing a happy sigh of relief she joined him on the sand.

"I think I know what they mean when they say behind every great man there's a great woman, not that you weren't always a great woman." He finally said.

"From a thief to a lawyer, quite the turnaround huh?" Sadayo leered.

"Considering my record that's actually not a big thing for me, but I'm still proud of it none the less."

"Really? Spend an entire year evading the law then start practicing it? Akira Kurusu, I have never met any guy quite like you."

"Good because you might have fallen for him instead of me."

"Not to worry." Sitting up she reached into her purse and fished out the necklace he'd bought her earlier. Holding it up to the setting sun the red and yellow glittered brightly giving off the appearance of gold. She'd never had much a taste for jewelry, gold jewelry especially, but this would be the exception to the rule. Placing the star-shaped pendent around her neck she turned to her boyfriend. "I could search the whole world and I'm sure I'd never find a guy like you, Akira, you're my one and only."

They never separated after that, not even when they boarded the train to take them out of Sumaru. Finding a set she leaned her head against his shoulder and quietly dozed off while Akira kept the peaceful smile he'd worn on the beach with him. Through the window he saw the sunset had been bathed the landscape a myriad of red, yellow, and orange.

He remembered once spending all summer afternoon playing the punch with his parents, it was one of the happiest memories he'd possessed. Now he had a new one to supplement that one. The last thing the black-haired teenager saw was the fading sunlight reflected off his girlfriend's necklace, and then he joined her in an afternoon nap for the remainder of the trip.

* * *

 **So yeah, Tatsuya and Maya, the P2 duology's protagonists…together. Yes I know, impossible, yes I know it breaks canon laws, but dammit I love them together! The ending of Eternal Punishment pisses me off as much as how little recognition the first two Persona games get, but I digress. I imagine by this point Tatsuya's become a prominent detective in the city so Akira would be a little jumpy around him. As always, leave a review and until next time!**


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